Overview
- The Oscar winner shared an Instagram video near his 88th birthday, saying life is better in recovery and urging people to seek help and "choose life."
- He said he nearly died 50 years ago after driving during a blackout, a realization he described plainly as alcoholism.
- Hopkins states he has not consumed alcohol since 1975 and continues to participate in 12‑step support meetings.
- Coverage ties the milestone to his memoir We Did Ok, Kid, which recounts a difficult childhood and the personal costs of addiction, including estrangement from his daughter and strain on marriages.
- He reflects that his darker past informed parts of his craft, citing roles such as Hannibal Lecter.